Portugal v Czech Republic

Can Cristiano lead Portugal into the semi-finals? Image courtesy of sports.yahoo.com.

Portugal and the Czech Republic will clash for a semi-finals berth when they meet in the first Euro 2012 quarter final on Friday morning (AEST). Portugal finished second in Group B after losing to Germany but defeating both Denmark and the Netherlands. Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo is beginning to show signs of his brilliance after bagging a double to send the Portuguese through to the knockout stages in their win against the Netherlands.

1996 Runners-up the Czech Republic progressed to the quarterfinals after upsetting host nation Poland in their final group match on Sunday morning. The Czechs’ created European championship history by becoming the only team to top their group with a negative goal difference after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Russia in their opening match. They then bounced back recording a 2-1 win over Group A runners-up Greece and a 1-0 win over Poland.

Game Breakers - Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best attacking players in the game. Ronaldo showed how he is capable of changing a game with a dominant display against the Netherlands to send Portugal through. Expect big things from Ronaldo in the knockout stages. The Czech Republic is a well-structured side and has benefited from the composure of their strike weapons. Wolfsburg teammates Petr Jiracek and Vaclav Pilar have formed a formidable combination and both lead the Czech goal scorers list with two goals apiece.